A Dunfermline man who racially abused a 14-year-old girl in the street and told two Mormons on a bus to “go back to America”, was sentenced to 170 hours’ unpaid work.
Ian Bowie, 56, of Izatt Avenue, was previously found guilty of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on a bus journey in Dunfermline on December 9 last year.
He shouted, swore, uttered threats of violence, repeatedly punched and kicked the bus, and the offence was racially aggravated.
In the latter incident, he admitted behaving in an aggressive manner towards a 14-year-old girl by shouting, swearing and placing her in a state of fear and alarm. This offence was also racially aggravated.
He returned to court for sentencing this week.
Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf said that in the second incident Bowie, who lives near Dunfermline High School, had been annoyed when he saw a group of around 10 pupils throwing food into his garden.
He went out to tell them to move on but they would not and he then made the comments to the schoolgirl.
One of the group made comments to Bowie before a school teacher intervened and escorted the pupils to school.
Defence solicitor Sarah Meehan said there had been “ongoing difficulties with pupils loitering” outside her client’s home.
Of the earlier incident she said her client, who had been drinking, “took umbrage” after the two Mormons on the bus had tried to give him a Bible.
Sheriff Simon Collins sentenced Bowie to 170 hours’ unpaid work.